Lollapalooza asked our Minister of Propaganda, Kyle Hodges, what bands he would want to hangout with and where he would take them.

DO312′S TASTEMAKER GUIDES: DARK MATTER COFFEE

In partnership with our friends at Do312, we’ve asked several of Chicago’s tastemaker-types to put their own unique spin on the typical city guide. Leading up to this year’s fest, we’ll be showcasing different lists of local spots – tailored to this year’s Lolla lineup. We’ve already caught up with Eric Strom of GlitterGuts and Dom Brown from Porn and Chicken, now we check in with Kyle Hodges from Dark Matter Coffee.

Beachwood Inn is a small bar with no bullshit. You get a beer, a shot and chill out. This is the kind of dive bar that is inviting without being just a complete dump. Like your dad’s old basement bar, you feel at home.

Stacked with some of the most sought after instruments and gear in the country, this is a mecca for any musician. Chances are that some of these bands will be playing instruments from CME, as they are supplier of those hard-to-find items on technical riders.

The history of this place speaks volumes of how and why Chicago is important to the world of music. The building serves double duty, as the home of both Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation and Chess Records, the label that helped put Chicago Blues, R&B and Soul on the map.

Everyone needs a break from touring, who doesn’t like nature and the beauty that it beholds? With both indoor and outdoor flower gardens and a lake, it’s easy to push aside any stress. If we are lucky there will be someone throwing a BBQ or picnic that we can hijack.

A recovering record store owner/employee, this Indianapolis native has called Chicago home for the last several years. Now the Minister of Propaganda at Dark Matter Coffee, Kyle Hodges oversees the curation of DMC’s music & art collaborations, partnerships and brand development. When not gorging himself on coffee & donuts, you can find him digging at record stores for a first pressing, still sealed copy of INXS ‘Kick LP’.